Evacuation orders issued as wildfire grows near Canada’s Alberta oil patch
Al Jazeera
Authorities say firefighters are facing a ‘challenging day’ as a huge blaze nears Fort McMurray in the Alberta tar sands.
Authorities in the Canadian province of Alberta have issued evacuation orders for neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray, as a growing wildfire nears the community at the heart of Canada’s tar sands region.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on Tuesday afternoon gave residents of the Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace areas about two hours to leave their homes due to an approaching wildfire.
“These neighbourhoods directly interface with where the fire could potentially spread. Regional Emergency Services will better be able to defend these neighbourhoods from wildfire if they are uninhabited and clear,” the municipality said.
Located about 430km (270 miles) northeast of Edmonton, Fort McMurray has experienced devastating wildfires before.
In 2016, tens of thousands of people were forced to flee as a huge blaze destroyed homes, businesses and other structures in the town.
